Biochemical studies and expression of Atg7/LC3 autophagy genes in mephalan-induced testicular dysfunction
1 Department of Biochemistry, Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
2 Department of Biochemistry, Benjamin S. Carson (Snr) School of Medicine, Babcock University Illisan, Nigeria.
Research Article
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023, 22(03), 259–270.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscbps.2023.22.3.0118
Publication history:
Received on 10 February 2023; revised on 25 March 2023; accepted on 28 March 2023
Abstract:
Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal degradation pathway and plays a very important role in maintaining intracellular homeostasis. This present study demonstrates the biochemical status and expression of ATG7/LC3 autophagic genes in Melphalan-induced testicular dysfunction. Twenty make Swiss albino mice were maintained under standard conditions of humidity (50 ± 5%), temperature (25 ± 2° C) with free access to food and water. The mice were divided into five groups (n=5 each) and treated by intraperitoneal injection as follows; Group I: vehicle-treated control; Group II: 1 mg/kg/bwt MEP; Group III: 3mg/kg/bwt MEP; Group IV: 5mg/kg/bwt MEP. Histopathological and histochemical evaluation by light microscopy, biochemical assays and sperm parameters evaluation are the various investigation depicted in this study. Result shows a rise percentage of DNA damage and teratozoospermia Index (TZI); decrease of protein concentration and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Testosterone concentration was depleted. The result also shows a significant decrease of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) level across the groups when compared to the control. This study confirms oxidative stress by increased ROS and MDA levels in the testes of the melphalan-treated mice and defective antioxidants response as evident from diminished activities of antioxidant enzymes. The autophagic gene markers showed an upstream Atg7 gene and downstream of LC3-II/LC3-I ratio. Autophagy is mediated by the expression of Atg7 and LC3 genes and these varying mRNA expression led to autophagic defect.
Keywords:
Autophagy; Melphalan; Total Antioxidant Capacity; Hormones; Testes
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0
